Farmer’s Market returns to St. Stephen waterfront - Jul. 18, 2014

Kathy Bockus
St. Stephen
The St. Stephen Farmer’s Market, held weekly on Friday, is on the move back to its former waterfront location.
“Logistically, the vendors do better down on the waterfront,” said Kingsley Bailey, the town’s interim property manager.
“It’s doing more for the town down there than it is up above,” he stated, referring to the parking lot of the Border Area Community Arena where the market had to relocate during the construction phase of the Garcelon Civic Center.
“We’ll try it for a few weeks and see.”
Bailey said he conducted a poll last Friday of market vendors who were set up in the grassy expanse along the St. Croix River across from the Visitor Information Centre.
“They felt they were doing better and would prefer to stay there. Only one vendor didn’t think it was working out for them. The rest were quite happy, and felt their sales had increased coming down to this area.
Bailey said the waterfront market makes it easier for tourists to access the vendors, allowing them to drive straight into a large parking lot opposite the VIC with their trailers.
Bailey was asked if the market would have to relocate later this summer, given the recent announcement that developer Tom McFarlane intends to have “shovels in the ground” for his Best Western Plus St. Stephen Hotel and Suites by mid-August in the same general area.
“The market is far enough away that it won’t interfere with anything he has to do,” stated Bailey.